The Doughnut Project Hotteok Jeju Noodle Bar Donut: I got this donut exactly a week ago on the last day it was available from The Donut Project in the West Village (sorry for the delay in posting!). I had only ever had Hotteok once from a boxed mix from HMart, and not surprisingly, this donut interpretation from Korean ramen noodle shop Jeju Noodle Bar was much better. The dough had a great consistency, with a crisp griddled-like exterior and soft interior filled with a sweet crushed peanuts mix. Topped with a berry-jelly syrup and pistach... (read more)3.5/5.0

Bao Tea House Rose pudding bao: A special Valentine's day menu item at Bao Tea House in the West Village, these buttery rose pudding baos have a custard-like filling somewhere between whipped cream and pudding. It's light in texture, but quite rich in flavor and tastes deeply of rose On top is a satisfying crumble coating. Overall, the dessert stands out to me with its combination of baked and creamy textures, but it's on the rich side altogether. 3.5/5.0

Besfren Taro and matcha soft serve: I stumbled upon this tiny pastry shop on my way to Penn Station from KTown and was impressed with the quality of their soft serve. Served in a large but slightly pricy cup (at $5.50), the purple and green ice cream swirl is well balanced and perfectly smooth. The creamy, slightly vegetal flavor of taro works surprisingly well with bitter matcha. My only quibble is that the way the soft serve was swirled gave it a hollow center, so I think a third of the cup I received was just an air pock... (read more)3.5/5.0

Epsa Blood orange soda: This Greek soda comes in a sturdy glass bottle textured like Orangina's and marked with a distinct diamond emblem reminiscent of an astrological symbol. The soda is pretty sweet, but it's better balanced than Sunkist or Fanta and is flavored with black carrot juice. You could tell it's orange soda right away, yet the blood orange juice is distinctive and worthwhile. Purchased from Saloniki in Boston. 3.5/5.0

T-Swirl Crepe Creme brulee crepe: One of the mini-crepes available at T-Swirl, the creme brulee is filled with a custard-like creme filling and bruleed to order. The crepe was satisfyingly eggy and slightly chewy, while the creme brulee was a rich treat. The best part to me was the crepe, and I would have preferred slightly less filling, but overall this snack was a good value. 3.5/5.0